


Observations

by LovelessKia



Series: Oban Star Racers: College AU [2]
Category: Oban Star-Racers
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Longing, cold post, its allllllll longing & loving observations & junk, observation, short fic, this was just a lil thing to shake off the rust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23553943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelessKia/pseuds/LovelessKia
Summary: When you spend a lot of time with someone, you start noticing little things.
Relationships: Eva "Molly" Wei/Jordan Wilde
Series: Oban Star Racers: College AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682278
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	Observations

**Author's Note:**

> I'm cold posting this, so apologies in advance for any grammar mistakes/repeated words!

How had she not gotten any taller in the past 7 years?

Standing at 5"2, she was on the shorter side. He assumed she would have hit a growth spurt at some point, but apparently not. She was only ever taller by a few inches, if she wore proper work boots when working on machinery. Otherwise, her footware composed of comfortable sneakers with thin shoes. It would have been odd to see her wear something with a tall heel, considering she didn't have any clothing that would warrant something more sophisticated. 

That's how her entire wardrobe was, actually: Comfort & function over appearance. That's not to say she dressed like a slob, not at all. A percentage of her closet could be considered such, being stained & worn from working with tools & fluids, but what work clothes don't eventually get like that? On the other end of the spectrum, were nice, fitted jeans & an array of comfortable tshirts & tops. Nothing fancy or a pain to wear, but it all fit her & showed off her aesthetic well. Perhaps a little too well, for his own good.

He thought she looked beautiful in it all.

Really, there wasn't much femininity to her appearance. Even back then, when they first met, there wasn't anything "girly" about her. Facial tattoos, black & red hair, with a mishmash outfit of the male mechanic's uniform gave her a unique look that she seemed happy with. It was kind of compelling, in a way. A draw. The more punk vibes of her look had toned itself down, but there were still remnants & vibes left to her. 

That's not to say she was devoid of any femininity. She liked the color pink, she adored typically cute things, & she engaged in 2 things usually regarded as feminine: Painting her finger nails & putting extra work into her hair care. 

Painting her finger nails was more of a therapeutic & temporary joy for her. They would be painted carefully & admired for the evening, but always be chipped & worn away within a few days. Her hands went through such punishment with her work, it was really no surprise. No clear protective coat could help with the rest of her hands, unlike her nails. The tiniest cuts, small bruises, worn finger tips, it was all evidence of hard work. She took some foolish pride in it some days. _"I almost sliced my finger off on the band saw, but I'm good!"_ Her tired, rough, abused hands would live another day.

He always wanted to hold those hands.

She had kept up with the red splatter dye job on her hair over the years. It became somewhat of a trademark for her, & she enjoyed the look. Due to the continuous hair damage, she took extra care of her hair in all aspects. It was probably a case of "necessity turned routine", otherwise her hair would dry up & fall out. At least it was a more passive part of her routine. She'd often put protective product in after washing her hair, & join him for an episode of a dumb sitcom while it settled, rinsing it out afterwards. Every now & again, the many bottles of product would tumble out of the cabinet, followed by a _"fuck!"_ , & he would snicker quietly to himself.

But it all seemed worth it. Her long, thick hair always looked so soft, vibrant, & smooth. Even when she had it tied up in a messy bun, which was often, it looked very cute. In his opinion, at least. With it up & out of the way, it revealed the soft, supple skin of her rather thin neck & jawline. It was pale, but clear & alluring. How would it feel under his finger tips?

When it was down, it was a whole other story. The extended black locks framed her figure, like a backdrop. It was gorgeous, & swayed with every movement, almost hypnotizing. He noticed that it often fell around her shoulders when she slouched over, falling onto her text books or papers, due to the extra care to make it so silky. This was one of the factors that made her keep it up most of the time. He liked either look, but there was just something he couldn't place about it when it was down that he found exceptional. Maybe it was his compulsion to run his fingers through it. 

If it wasn't obvious by now, she swore like a sailor. Part of her rebellious nature, he supposed. Her vernacular wasn't that vast, & honestly it was pretty funny to hear swear words more often compared to his family. His mother would scold him & his siblings for it, if something slipped, insisting it was rude. But with Eva, it made things more comfortable than anything. She seemed relaxed around him, not afraid to wear frumpy pajamas around him or show up in the living room with bed head. He was happy about it, thankful he was trusted enough to see that "morning disaster", as she'd put it. He thought otherwise. 

Coupled with the swearing was her rather short temper. It didn't take a lot to tick her off, which would have you met with snappy remarks or passive agressiveness, but it took a lot to _piss her off._ That was not something you wanted to be on the other end of, he knew all too well. The fire of her personality was shared with passion as much as anger. She would always get loud & verbose with topics like racing or mechanics, the excitement taking her. Though Jordan was never too insanely interested in either topic, her feelings were infectious. Seeing her in a place in her life where she could freely feel like this made him happier than words could describe. It made his job so much easier. 

Something he would often find himself caught in was her eyes. He didn't even need to be making mutual contact, or even purposely look at them, but it was so easy for his eyes to drift & lock onto her's. Her lashes were thick, jet back, & stood out over the small wrinkles & bags underneath. They only bothered him in the sense that he wished she would get her full 8 hours, but alas, he couldn't control her. No one in this universe could. He didn't want to. 

But her dark, vivid red irises were something he thought about a lot. Maybe they were a mutation of brown, with a maroon hue & ruby specks that flashed if the light hit them just right. They were warm, deep, something he wanted to fall into & stay there. They felt like home.

He thought about her eyes a lot. More than he would ever willingly admit.

Really, he thought about _her_ a lot. That, he was willing to admit to anyone but her.

* * *

How had he gotten even _taller_ in the past 7 years?

Did he hit a late growth spurt? Do Avatar's even experience puberty, if they're young enough? It was perplexing. 

To most others, it was intimidating. He was tall, rather muscular, & still had a bit of roughness to his general appearance. It was all an unintentional front, though, knowing what he was like past the surface. She could never in her life find him scary, knowing how much of a worry wort he was about things. He would fret over any minor injury she got, or preemptively when she was about to do something stupid. It could be annoying & grating at times, but she knew it came from a place of kindness & care. He was the protective type, it was just his nature. It made her feel safe.

Ironically, he wasn't that careful with himself. He was clumsy, despite his best efforts, making small messes bigger. You'd think a gunner would be good & delicate with his hands, but maybe he had gotten rusty since taking up other duties. This made him a bit of an unintentional slob, which she happily teased him for. Crumbs on his shirt, splattered remnants of cooking on the counter, dirty clothes tossed about, the list goes on. It was a good thing that he was pretty prompt about cleaning, otherwise their apartment would be a disaster zone. God knows she wasn't much for cleaning.

He did a lot to help her, without being asked. Much more than cooking & cleaning. She appreciated more than she could properly express. 

Since having access to a washer & dryer, his clothing situation had improved...a bit. He wouldn't willingly give up his old, worn clothes swiped from a thrift store, but it was fine. They held together, & draped over his frame well enough. Quite well, actually, with his broad shoulders & long legs. His few articles of newer clothing fit even better, hugging at his muscles & body shape, especially those toned & strong arms of his. She had been held by those arms, she recalled every now & then.

He could be a model, potentially, in this new age of advertisements with more rugged looking men. And rugged he was, with his consistent facial stubble. He had access to a bathroom, to razors, but quickly grew tired of shaving it away each day only for it to grow back the next. It didn't bother him any, & she kind of liked it. The way it peppered along his jaw & chin really emphasized his stronger facial structure. It was weird to feel he looked more mature. She wondered what he would look like with a full beard. 

Maybe they would be together long enough for her to see. A small part of her hoped for it.

His freckles had surprisingly stayed as well, which she was always fond of. They were cute, in a childish way. It clashed with his masculine appearance, but he just wouldn't look the same with out them. The light trail of stars, flowing over the bridge of his nose & between his golden eyes, was something she hoped would never fade. She wished they would stay, just like him.

Those eyes, however, were different. A side-effect from his new powers, one that he said would probably stick around. At least, he hadn't figured out a way to "turn them off" yet. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss his old eyes, his impossibly dark black ones that had lingered on her many times. They were unreadable, endlessly depthless, but the warmth from them was evident. They shared a lot of conversations, a lot of exciting moments, & dangers between those eyes. She would always miss them, probably.

But that wasn't to say that she disliked how he was now. On the contrary, the new shimmering shade was beautiful. Absolutely unnatural & a shocker to everyone they came across, but she loved them. Was it odd to say she loved them? The otherworldly color was jarring, sure, but the kindness & compassion that could be felt from them was like none other. While his previous obsidian eyes gave comfort, his eyes now gave strength & support. Just one look, one glimpse, & he wouldn't have to say a word to convey these things to her. She understood.

And then, his smile.

His smile...His dumb, goofy, lopsided smile with pointy canines that never failed to lift her spirits. She missed it the most in their years apart. It almost shined brighter than his eyes, powerful with it's sense to energize & assure you. How could such a lighthearted, immensely warm gesture do such a thing? She had no idea, & she had no idea why she felt a flutter every time that smile was turned on her. Some Avatar magic bullshit, probably. What a silly attempt at denial.

She had never considered it, but she could stare at his smile all day. 

More & more often, she caught her thoughts drifting to him. What an odd distraction.

* * *

"Hey, you hungry?"

He looked up from his notes, immediately snared in her gaze. She closed her text book quickly, "I guess that was a dumb question, well, do you feel like getting some dinner?"

Eva still wasn't use to the fact his new body lacked the ability to hunger. "Oh, sure, what were you thinking?"

Scooting back in her chair, she raised her arms in a stretch, "Hmm, how about Korean? Could go for some kimbap. 

Jordan smiled, causing that unknowing faint flutter in her again. Her eyes flickered to the ceiling of the library for a distraction. "Ohh, yeah, that place next to the mall has good kimchi, lets get it from there."

They stood, exiting the building, & left to spend a quiet evening in each other's company. 

**Author's Note:**

> Bleh, I haven't written in so long, so I just wanted to throw out some mushy stuff. Been thinkin about these kids a lot lately. Something of this format & flavor is very one-off & probably sloppy, but I hope it was enjoyable none the less!


End file.
